Saturday, January 27, 2007

How Did I Spend All That Money? And Why Am I So Self-Indulgent?

The questions on everyone's lips seem to be (a) can I borrow the $2300 you have already saved (Answer: No) and (b) what on earth did you once spend twenty-three hundred dollars a month on?

Funny you should ask. Back in November, I saved all my receipts because our friend Dan was going to do this budget for us that he and his wife Renee are on (they are the parents of the lambie-obsessed Charlotte from a few weekends ago). They live SO CAREFULLY.

Renee had an allowance of like 20 bucks a week or something, and that included extras for her AND for her child. We were at Old Navy once and Renee wanted to get something for Charlotte that was like $25, so she couldn't get it. I remember thinking I'd commit suicide if I had to live that carefully, and I broached the subject in a tasteful, constructive way, something like, "Holy bees, I'd fucking kill myself if I had to live like that." And Renee said something I'll never forget. She said, "I felt that way at first, but when you watch those dollars add up, you really start to get into it."

Well, she is certainly right. I am now starting to think of ways we can save even MORE each month, like perhaps we can cheap out on groceries even more.

But anyway, Dan was going to put us on the Dan and Renee super-strict budget, and he told us to save all our receipts for a month, which I did but Marvin Gardens didn't, so as a result we have no budget and 1,500 tiny pieces of paper in my Trapp Private Gardens candle box (the guava/mango candle is to die for).

So this afternoon I added up those old receipts just to see what I spent on back in the day. And guess what? It wasn't food I spent so much on! Which may explain why I haven't lost ONE. SINGLE. POUND. since starting this endeavor.

Here's what it came down to: in November of 2006, I spent $354.47 on gifts for other people (Marvin Gardens and my mother have November birthdays); I spent $349.34 on groceries; I spent a shockingly low $73.06 on eating out (I was trying eDiets, so that sort of explains it); $106.63 on gas and parking; $6.48 on the cats (Francis needed a new collar); and $592.59 on personal stuff for me! $592.59! I sent flowers to myself, I had my eyebrows done at Damone (really the best eyebrow guy -- he is on all the makeover shows), I bought clothes, shoes...GEEZ!

The grand total of extraneous spending was $1482.77, which means that if we really have $2300 a month in disposable income, that Marvin G. spent a little over $800.

Okay, somebody out there needs to keep their receipts for the month of February for me and tell me if I am the most self-indulgent nincompoop in the world. I mean, doesn't that seem like a LOT to spend on one's self?

And in my defense, I do not often send flowers to myself. I was having a bad day that day. One other time I won an order of free flowers and I must admit I sent myself a dozen lavender roses with a card that read, "Keep being you." ONCE! One time!